Martha Stewart still living graciously as jail looms

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Martha Stewart, the grand dame of gracious living, is unlikely to avoid jail when she is sentenced this week for lying about a suspicious stock trade, experts say.

Despite the efforts of her lawyers to keep her out of prison, the 62-year-old Stewart faces sentencing on Friday by a judge disinclined to cut her much slack.

"Most people think that her celebrity status will not work in her favour," said New York defence lawyer Benjamin Brafman.

US District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum is apt to sentence Stewart to prison "so that the general public does not conclude that because she's a powerful individual she's treated differently", Mr Brafman said.

Stewart, who built a catering company into an empire of magazines, cookbooks and TV shows, was found guilty in March of conspiracy, making false statements and obstruction.

She has resigned as an officer and board member of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

Stewart appears to be trying to make the best of what are possibly her last few days of freedom.

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Photographs of her riding a bicycle and attending beach parties near her home in New York's luxurious Hamptons area fill the local tabloids.

The charges against Stewart carry a federal sentencing range of 10 to 24 months, but experts say that Judge Cedarbaum, who may have some leeway, shows few signs of making an exception for first-time offender Stewart.

The case against Stewart stemmed from her suspicious sale of stock in biotech company ImClone Systems on December 27, 2001.

Prosecutors said the sale occurred after her stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic, ordered an assistant to tip Stewart that ImClone founder Sam Waksal was dumping all his ImClone shares, knowing federal regulators were about to give a thumbs down to the company's anti-cancer drug.

While there was no case made that Stewart engaged in insider trading, prosecutors said she and her broker lied to cover up the secret tip.

Bacanovic, who also was found guilty at the same trial, faces sentencing on Friday afternoon, a few hours after Stewart's sentencing, which is scheduled for 10am.

Judge Cedarbaum last week turned down Stewart's request for a new trial, which her lawyers sought after a US Secret Service laboratory director was indicted for perjuring himself during Stewart's first trial.

In rejecting the request, the judge noted that "overwhelming independent evidence" supported the guilty verdicts.

"It's not a good indicator for Martha," Mr Brafman said.

Observers expect Stewart could spend time at a minimum security facility in Connecticut.